Very Slow download speed for last few months during the evenings.

Over the last few months we have had very slow speed I've done everything your web site suggest, Several Speed test on several days. 6.5 is the highest download speed I've had. I have been a customer for almost 3 years now. I am paying for 12mb Download and I haven't went over on my usage. My neighbor also has the same problem and lives over a mile from us. Customer service told her it was due to, to many people sharing the Band width. (slowing down the service) Which probably is the problem. If this is the problem then Exede has a problem of false advertisement, by not being able to give their customers what they are paying for.. Also if this is true I smell a class action Law Suite brewing. I pay my bill on time every month and I expect to receive the services I am paying for. or the bill should be adjusted if you can't meet your end of the bargain. I am no longer under contract so I can switch services if I have to. I can live with 9-10 mb download but yesterday evening it was 4.7 and upload of 0.6 just tested it again 5.4 download 1.2 upload and I've only used 80% of my plans data.

If your slower speeds are only occurring during prime time hours (now described as 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM), this is pretty much the new norm due to heavier network utilization during those hours. During the holidays that's exacerbated with all the new devices/toys coming online starting with Black Friday and holiday deals (last year slow speed were particularly brutal during this period). If history is any indicator, we're in for a bumpy ride over the next month.

Speeds have always been advertised as up to, represent averages over time, and will vary dependent on current network conditions. Try running a speed test during non-prime time hours to further determine if there's an actual problem.

For others, the same applies if you're experiencing them as David has described otherwise there are any number of causes for slower speeds but require additional hints. However, in general:

If applicable, bypass your router connecting a single device to you modem when running any speed test; and when the router is connected, ensure that only a single device is using your internet connection when running a speed test remembering that 12 Mbps represents shared bandwidth utilized by all devices.

At the same time when running speed tests ensure that any other applications are not using the connection simultaneously (again its shared bandwidth).

with a preference towards DSL reports because it allows specifying a connection type of satellite.

If speed tests are normal with the router out of the picture but poor with it in the picture this may indicate a router problem.

Even then, I'm not a big fan of speed tests since they're designed for ideal circumstances under controlled conditions regarding speed not bandwidth. ISPs advertise bandwidth not speed and there are some distinct differences as discussed at:

As users we're more interested in speed not bandwidth - and the only real measure is whether it's fast enough for what we need to do at a specific point in time. All ISPs play fast and loose with the terms bandwidth, throughput and speed.

If you have a router with traffic monitoring, you'll find there are relatively few times where 12 Mbps speeds are required and in most cases you're getting far less than the 12 Mbps capacity. Also traffic monitoring applications such as GlassWire provide a more complete picture of actual speeds attained that we're interested in.

The only way for Viasat to increase capacity is with the next satellite launch. For now, we're all stuck on a one lane blacktop during rush hours that are growing longer. On WildBlue it was a one lane gravel road.